Safety means for addressing machines



i Oct. 2, 1934. E. c. COLYER I SAFETY MEANS FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES Filed July 8, 1929 Patented Oct. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,975,074 SAFETY MEANS FOR ADDRESSING MACHINES Edwin C. Colyer, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Addressograph Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application July 8, 1929, Serial No. sitjsso 9. Claims. (01. 192-432) My invention relates to improvements in ad-. dressing machines and moreparticularly to ma chines of this character in which individual print} ing devices are fed into printing position beneath a reciprocating platen arm. 1 f

The principal object of my inve tion is to prevent any possibility of-injury to the operators hand or to the machine arising from the presence of the operators hand or any other obstruction between the platen and printing bed of themachine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of this'character in which the presence .of an obstruction, such as the operator's hand, automatically, disables the operation of the platen until the obstruction is. removed, and automatically restores the platen to operative condition upon the removal of the obstruction.

A further object is to provide an improved inachine of this character in which'the platen normally during its reciprocationcannotexert printing pressure until it reaches a point s'ojcloseto the printing bed that there is no room for an obstruction between it and the 'bed.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawing a Y Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a portion of the printing bed of an addressing machine, showing the platen arm and its operatingmechanism; and

Fig. 2 is a plan section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing the'printing or-supporting; bed 1 of an addressing machine is shown. Thisbed usually has a guideway 2 along-which the "individual printing devices 3 are successively fed-into and out of printing position. Fig. 1 shows two of these printing devices, one of which is in printing position beneath the platen 4. The platen is carried on the platen arm 5 by which it is moved to and from the printing device. on the bed;

The machine shown is of the type which hasa platen roller 6 adapted, when lowered into contact with the printing device, to be rolled horizontally across the printing-surface as indicated in dotted lines topress the sheet upon said printing device, although the invention is equally adaptable to a machine of the stamper arm type. The platen roller is mounted in a member 7 which slides in a guide 8 on the platen head, so thatthe platen roller can be rolled across the face of the printing device. a p

The platen arm extends below the printing bed at one side thereof, and its lower end is,.fas'tened to a rock shaftlO which is rocked .to Swing the platentowards and from the printing'bed. The

shaft is mountedin suitable bearings 11 in the frame. One end projects beyond the end of the bearing and. hasa yoke member 12'fastened thereto by means of thekeys 13. The two arms of the-yoke arespaced apart on 'the shaft and connected at their. outer-ends by a cross member 14. A three-arm power lever is positioned between the arms of the yoke, and the hub 15. of this lever is rotatably mounted on the rockshaftto rotate thereon. The three-arm lever is rocked on the shaft by.means of a cam-member 16, one arm 1'7 of the lever havinga roller 1 8 which rides in the internal cam groove'18;of the cam member. The cam member is mounted on the power shaft 19 which may be driven from any suitable source of power, such as the usual electric motor -(not shown) employed in machines of this character.

, Another arm-20 of the three-arm lever extends below theyoke and :its end 21 bears against the under side of the 'yok'eicross member 14. A spring 22 is connected to' theicross member and the arm 20, its ends being attachedto pins 23 projecting from said. member and arm. On the down stroke of the arm,20 of the three-arm lever, the spring 22- transmits motion to the yoke and thence to the platen arm and lowers said platen arm towards the bed of the machine. The spring has sufiicient tension to swing the platen arm downwardly, but not sufficient to. exert any great degree of pressure.- Hence if the operators hand or anyother obstruction should come between the platen and the'bed, the spring simply stretches, thus disabling the platen arm but permitting the continued operation of thethree-arm lever and cam. The platen arm cannot exert any injurious pressure on the hand or obstruction. i

The three-arm lever has another arm 25 disposed uprightly, and this arm has an elongated diagonal slot 26 in which a .dog 27 is pivotally mounted on a'pivot pin 28. This dog extends downwardly in the slot andits edge isnorma'lly maintained in contact with a fixed roller 29 on the machine frame. by a spring 30 which is positioned in a suitable recess in the arm 25 and which presses against the dog. 'The lower end of the dog has a notch 31 whichis arranged for engagement with the inner top edge of the cross member 14 ot the yoke. During the reciprocation of the three-arm lever the dog is prevented from engaging the yoke by the roller 29. As the platen, on

its. down stroke, however, reaches a position in .very close proximity to the bed, the dog is allowed .to engage the yoke and form a positive driving connection between the three-armdevice and the at a given point in the movement platen arm. Hence by the time the platen actually reaches the printing surface it will exert a positive pressure upon the printing device sufiicient for printing purposes. This is accomplished by providing the dog with a cam notch 32 in its edge. This cam notch is so located that. it is brought into position relatively to .roller.29 and allows the dog to swing outwardly and engage the yoke 14 just in advance of the platen roller reaching the impression position. In practice I' arrange this positive connection to take place when the platen roller reaches a distance of about one eighth of an inch above the printing device, although, of course, it can bemade to take place at any point in-the downward stroke of the platen arm. By timing this action to take place within one eighth of an inch of the bed,

a complete safety factor is insured becausethis' space is too small to permit the operators fingers,

or any other obstruction to enter between the platen roller and the bed. Thus the platen arm is responsive or sensitive to an obstruction until it reaches a point so close to the printing surface tliat'it would be no longer pos'sible f-o'r an'obstruction to enter said space. T T1 The cam 16 makes a complete revolutionin each cyole'ofoperation of the machine. At the beginning and end of a cycle of operation, the platen and platen arm are disposed inthe'pcsition illustrated in Fig. l and the platen is re'-' turned to this position at the end of each'cycle by the engagement of the end 21 with the underside of I the yoke cross member 14. During the time the platen is descending under the influence of the spring 22, the end 21 tends to keep in advance of the yoke cross member 14 but during the ascending operation this end 21 moves toward the member 14 and therefore 'elevatesthe platen.

Even if the platen is held from moving into printing position by reason of engagement thereof with some obstruction, the end 21 will at some timein the cycle engage the member 14 and elevate the platen arm and platen.

The cross member 14 of the yoke has'a hardened metal plate 33 for engagement by the notched end of the dog and this plate is removably secured by screws so thatit can-be'readily shown and described, for obvious -modii'i'cations will occur toaperson skilled in I claim:

the'art.

1. In a machine of the class de'scribedthecombination of a printing bed, a platen arm adapted to swing to and from said bed, power operating means for swinging said platen arm, 'a spring yieldingly connecting said platen arm and said power operating means, a dog on said; power means normally disengaged from the platen arm P during the down stroke of theplaten arm,'and

means for engaging the dog with the platenarm of the" platen arm. J"

2. In a machine of the class described'thecombination of a printing devicesupporting bed, a platen arm adapted to swingtowards and from 'said bed, a rock shaft connected to said. platen arm, a yoke member secured on the shaft, a power lever loose on said shaft, a springconnecting said yoke and lever, a connecting device of said lever for engagement with said yoke, and means normally holding said connecting device disengaged from the yoke until a given point is reached in the movement of the platen arm.

3. In a printing machine having a frame and a;printing device supporting bed,'a platen arm carrying a platen for movement froman at rest position toward and from a printing device on said bed, means including a member adapted to make a complete operation in each cycle of operation of the machine and adapted to apply printing pressure to said platen, said member including a part for moving said platen back into said at rest position, and means for connecting saidmember to said platen arm, and a stud on the frame for holding the connecting means from ,connecting position until said platen moves into "close proximity with the printing device.

4.111 .a. printing machine having a frame and a printing device supporting bed, a platen arm carrying a platen for movement from an at rest position towardand" from a printing device on said bed, rotating means adapted to make a complete operation in each cycle of operation of the machine, movement transmitting '-means connected to said rotating means and including meansfor moving said platen back into said at rest position, a-studon said frame, said move ment transmitting'means also including connect- I ing'means for connecting said movement transmitting means to said platen arm, said connecting" means includingla formed part adaptedto engage "said stud immediately prior to move ment of said platen into close proximity with the printing-device, to then connect the movement transmitting means to the platen arm, and means urging the connecting means toward said stud.

5 .In1a' printing machine having a; printing device supporting bed, 1 a platen arm carrying a platen for movement from an at rest position toward and from I a printing device 'on said bed, rotating means adapted to make'a complete operation in each cycle of operation; of, the' machine, movement transmitting means'connected to said'rotating means, means on said movement transmitting meansfor mov- .ing said platen back into said at rest position, a dog on said movement transmitting means adapted to be connected to said platen arm and having a notch therein, a roller on said printing ma chine, means urging said dog into engagement with said roller whereby said roller moves into said notch to permit said dog to be connected to said platen arm at a time the platen moves :into closeproximity with the printing device I .6. The combination in a printing machine of a printing device supporting bed carried by a frame, a rock shaft journaled in the frame, a .platen arm fast on said rock shaft andcarrying a platen for movement toward and from said bed, operating means for said platen and adapted to'make a complete operation in each cycle of operation of the machine. and including a part 'f'reely mounted on said rock shaft, said part includingconnecting means for connecting said operating means with the platen arm and cooperating with a device on the frame to be held from connecting'position until the platen reaches a; point close to the bed, and means connected to said platen arm and positioned above a member on said part whereby said means may follow said member during the descent of the platen arm f and be engaged with said member tofeifect ascent V of the platen arm to return said platen arm' and said platen to normal position in spaced relation with said bed.

'7. The combination in a printing machine of a printing device supporting bed, a platen arm carrying a platen for movement toward and from said bed, operating means for said platen arm and adapted to make a complete cycle of operation in each cycle of operation of the machine, means yieldably connecting the platen arm to said operating means and adapted to be expanded upon arrest of downward movement of said platen arm, means for positively connecting the platen arm with said operating means only when the platen reaches a point close to the bed, and means on said platen arm positioned above a part on said operating means whereby said platen arm means is urged toward said part during the descent of said platen arm by said yieldable means, said means being adapted to be engaged with said part to efiect ascent of the platen arm to return said platen arm and said platen to normal position.

8. In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a printing bed carried by a frame, a platen arm adapted to swing to and from said bed, power operated means for said platen arm, a dog on said power means normally disengaged from said platen arm during the down stroke of the platen arm, a stud on said frame, said dog including a part engageable with said stud, and means for engaging the dog with the platen arm when the dog part engages the stud.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a printing bed, a platen arm adapted to swing to and from said bed, power operated means for said platen arm, a dog on said power means normally disengaged from said platen arm during the down stroke of the platen arm, said dog having a notch therein, a roller, and means urging the dog toward said roller whereby when said platen arm reaches a given point in the movement thereof said notch moves into alignment with said roller whereupon said dog connects said power means with said platen arm.

EDWIN C. COLYER. 

